About Us

Sis. Inez Rachel was eager to start planting seeds in her new place of abode. However, those dreams were not to be fully realized in West Bay at that time as her new husband, Mr. George W. Ebanks, whisked her away to Isle of Pines, Cuba where his mother and sister had taken up residence, and there she remained for about seven years. She left West Bay with but only a few persons being the wiser about the “Three Angels’ Messages.”

Nevertheless, during her stay in Cuba, Inez Rachel’s influence was felt and she was happy to see people accepting the truth, especially her husband and some of his nieces.

Upon their return to Cayman in 1936, Inez Rachel and her husband George, found that the few seeds she had managed to plant had begun to germinate and there were some persons ready to accept the Adventist message.

This group of people, however, had no place to meet for worship until Bro. George Ebanks bought a piece of land and built a little house. On Sabbaths the group would meet in the front yard under the spreading trees. Meanwhile, Bro. George Ebanks was enlarging the house and as soon as the front section was completed, the group moved inside. Now they could meet even if it rained.

This group was not formally organized until 1948 when Pastor Orville Schneider was President of the Cayman Islands Mission. Pastor Schneider held a series of ‘Tent Meetings’ on the beach in West Bay and another near where the West Bay Police Station is now located.

Meanwhile, in Batabano another group was meeting. This group started in the year 1952 when Mary Jackson (Patino) went to spend some time in Newlands with her grandmother and met some friends who were studying “The 20th Century Bible Course”, which she also enrolled in and completed.

Sometime after returning to Batabano, the Bible instructor, Bro. Raymond Wood of Bodden Town came to their house to bring Mary her certificate. Mary had a “cripple” aunt, Thelma Coe, who lived with her family. She was so interested in what Mary had learned, Thelma asked Bro. Wood to send someone to have meetings and Bible study at their home. Mary left for the United States to live, but soon Bro. George Merren began to come down on Sabbath afternoons to have meetings at the house.

Thelma invited her next-door neighbor, Elaine Jackson, to come over and bring her family. Elaine’s family was not too happy to go with her as everyone was sincere members of the Presbyterian church in central West Bay, but being good neighbours, Elaine and her youngest daughter, Dawn, went over. Dawn recalls that it was a very “nice” service and they went again the next Sabbath, and when “The 20th Century Bible Course” was offered to them, they accepted it and enjoyed it so much that Elaine’s other two daughters, Elaine and Rose also attended and enrolled in the course. There were others in the neighbourhood that attended the meetings and were interested but their mother stopped them from coming.

Meetings were held at Elaine’s home for some time and they gave their hearts to the Lord. Elaine and her three daughters learned about Bro. George Ebanks’ group and joined them for a while and were baptized on 10th May 1953 by Pastor Nosworthy and began to attend Bro. George’s home meetings.

Bro. George Merren and a few others from George Town would sometimes join the group for Sabbath services.

In the early 1950’s, as the group began to grow, Bro. George Ebanks decided to donate a piece of land for a Church building. Inez Rachel thought it a natural thing as her family had contributed the land for the Church she had attended in Honduras.

Bro George Ebanks, Bro. Enon Evans and other dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to construct the Sanctuary to the honour and glory of God. Bro. George even sent Bro. Enon to Panama to buy paint brushes because the paint brushes found here weren’t good enough to paint God’s house.

The church building was completed in 1955 as both groups were united and the fact that there was no electricity and lots of mosquitos was no deterrent for these faithful soldiers of Christ. Over the pulpit were the words “Reverence My Sanctuary”.

Some of the core members of that first church were: Bro. George W. Ebanks (the first head elder), his wife Sis. Inez Rachel and their two eldest daughters Helen and Alice, Sis. Elaine Jackson and her three daughters, (Sis. Elaine, Sis. Rose, and Sis. Dawn). Sis. Leatrice Ebanks, her mother, Sis. Adaline (Nancy), her sisters Ursula and Annie Joy came along with the Jackson family and joined the church; and Bro. Enon and Sis. Elva Evans.

Some of the early members in the 1950s – 1960s included: Sis. Mercedes Bush and her husband Bro. Vibert Bush, Sis. Delva Ebanks, Sis. Cleardean Hydes, Sis. Ena Hydes, Sis. Julia Christian, Sis. Catherine Ebanks, Sis. Naomi Dilbert, Bro. Reginald Dilbert, Sis. Carolee Ebanks and some of her family members, Bro. Thomas Percival Jackson in 1964 (Elaine Jackson’s husband), Bro. Martin Ebanks, Bro. Thomas Ebanks and his wife Sis. O. Goldie Ebanks, Sis. Mabel Ebanks, Sis. Mary Lou Ebanks, Sis. Fay Bodden, Sis. Sharon Farrington. All these played an integral part in the Church as they used their many talents for the Lord. In a relatively short time there were more than forty members.

In the late 1950’s – 1960’s when Bro. Martin D. Ebanks joined the Church, he saw the need to have a piano and donated the first piano, and his daughter Sis. O. Goldie Ebanks was the first pianist. With her beautiful piano playing the Church no longer had to sing a cappella.

Also, in the 1960’s two young ladies who were growing up in the Church (Sis. Dawn’s daughter, Sharon Farrington and Bro. George’s daughter, Mary Lou Ebanks) became budding pianists. Actually, they were very good at it. Sometimes they even played duets. It was exciting for the children to see young ladies, not much older than they, taking part in the Worship Service.

Towards the end of the 1960’s – 1970’s families began to migrate from Cuba. Among these were Bro. Dewy and Sis. Marie Rivers and their family, Bro. Ralph and Sis. Miriam Williams and their family, Bro. Leslie and Sis. Aldonza Smith and their family, and Bro. Lewiston and Sis. Mary Ebanks and their family, and Sis. Eula Ebanks, Sis. Lucil Williams and her parents and children. These all picked up their mantle in service for the Lord. Additionally, in 1970, Sis. Eula Glidden and her family returned to Cayman to live and along brought her mother Sis. Lily Mae Wood, who was also an excellent pianist and brought additional talent to the constantly growing church.

With the migrations and continuous baptisms the membership expanded and there came a need for a larger building. So, by 1980 the first little Church building was replaced with a bigger structure which could seat around 220 persons. This was built by Bro. Roy Campbell and his crew.

The church continued to grow as members and Bible instructors studied with others to expand the knowledge of Bible truth that had not been experienced previously, and literally hundreds joined the church over the years.

In the early 2000’s the building was again getting too small and plans commenced to build a bigger sanctuary with funds for a building being set aside. However, in 2004, Hurricane Ivan forced us out. So here we are today with a brand-new Edifice built to the honour and glory of Our Heavenly Father. A building that is modern and useful to our community, a beacon, a lighthouse to all, calling people to worship the Creator, for the hour of His judgement has come!

As far as can be determined, the Pastors who have served the Seventh-day Adventist Church West Bay over the years, not necessarily in chronological order: